This park consists of about two-thirds of St. John
Island, the most beautiful and least disturbed of the three major
American Virgin Islands. A veritable island paradise, St. John is of
interest chiefly because of its unique natural wonders. However, its
history, as well as that of the islands, is also absorbing. Columbus
discovered the islands in 1493, on his second voyage to the New World,
and named them in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins. In the
years that followed, Dutch, English, Spanish, French, and Danish
adventurers came to the islands. The Danes first arrived in the 1670's,
but did not found a permanent colony on St. John until 1717. Before
long, the settlers took over all the land on the island that could
support the cultivation of sugar and cotton, and imported slaves. Slave
unrest often disturbed the peace, however, until the King of Denmark
abolished slavery in 1848, a move that helped bring about the end of the
plantations, many of whose ruins may still be seen in the park.

St. John Island, about
two-thirds of which comprises Virgin Islands National Park, has unique
natural beauty. Although discovered by Columbus in 1493, it was not
colonized until the first part of the 18th century.

The United States acquired St. John, along with the
other Danish Virgin Islands, from Denmark in 1917. In 1956, Congress
authorized the establishment of the park, which was dedicated on
December 1, 1956, when Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc., of which Laurance
Rockefeller is president, presented more than 5,000 acres of the
original parkland to the people of the United States. The population of
less than 1,000 that remains on the island is concentrated in the Cruz
Bay and Coral Bay areas outside the park. Scheduled boat service is
available at Red Hook Landing, St. Thomas Island, for the 30-minute
passage to the park entrance at Cruz Bay, St. John Island.